Insulating rail-joint.



NQ. 882,041, PATBNTED MAR. 17, 1908.

B. WOLHAUPTBR.

INSULATING RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.21.1006.

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INSULATING RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 1'7, 1908.

Application filed September 21, 1906. Serial No. 835,653.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN 'YOLHAUP- TER; a citizen of the United States, of New York city, in the county of New York and `State of New York, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in insulating Rail-Joints; and l. do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica-tion.

This invention relates to improvements in insulating rail-joints ot' that class in which the joint embraces a base-plate which supports the ends of the rails, two wooden jointbars, and a longitudinal stiilening plate or girder.

The invention -consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the accoinpi'inying drawings: Figure 1. is a plan View of a rail joint einbodying in v invention Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the saine with parts broken away to show a portion ol' the base-plate and insulating layer in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse. section, takenupon line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig, l is a perspective View of one of the wooden joint-bars. Fig. is a perspective View of a metal tie-bar used in connection with the wooden joint-bar. Fig. is a perspective view oll one end ol' the insulating strip or layer. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a locking block employed in connecfion with said insulating strip or layer.

As shown in said di'awings,fi\ A indicate the inecting ends of thc rails, l5 a horizontal base-plate on which said meeting ends of the rails rest, (l C the wooden joint-hars which are liticd between the under surface ol' the rail heads and top surface of the base-flanges olI tho rails, and l) D thi` track-imita l'l and F 'indicate two longitudinal, vertically arranged .stiil'ening or gii'der-plates located in contact with the outer faces of the joint bars and having interlocking engage-l said base-plate B is provided with inwardly facing longitudinal shoulders b b1 and outside of said shoulders, said base-plate is provided with' outwardly extending horizontal i'langes B1 Bg located above the level of the bottom surface of the base-plate. The girder-plates E and F are provided near their lower margins u ith longitudinal grooves adapted to receive the outwardlyextending flanges B1 Bi of the base-plate and whici form with said flanges the interlocking connection between the girder-plates and the base-plate hercinbefore referred to. rllie lower margins of said ifirder-plates E and F are preferably arrange( in the saine horizontal plane with the bottoni surface of the baseplate, so that said girder-plates are adapted to rest upon and aro supported bythe/ties Spikes G G1 are shown as inserted/through notches in the outer margins of the outwardlyr extending base-flanges of the girder-plates, to secure the latter to the ties.

interposed between the base-flanges of the rails and the base-plate B is a sheet or layer ll of insulating material, and sleeves or thimbles l of insulating material are inserted through the bolt-holes in the rail-webs and surround the track-bolts where they pass through the saine. The insulating layer Il, the insulating lhimhlcs .l l, and the wooden jointhars together constitute insulating means by which the rails are electrically insulated from each other, the direct passage of electric current from one rail to thi` otherjat their abutting ends being prevented by a layer J of insulating material interposed between thc ends of the rails and conforming to the shape of the saine.

K K are metal tic-bars applied against the opposite sides of thc webs of the rail, and which are scatcd in longitudinal recesses formed in thc inner faces of the wooden joint-hars C t to receive them, as clearly seen in the perspective View, (Fig. 4'). vSaid tic-hars are provided with holt-holes through which pass the several track-bolts. The purpose of said lie-bars is to provide a connection between the track-bolts at points close to thc webs of the rails, and thereby prevent the bending of the track-bolts when thi` rails contract such as might occur by reason of the engagement of the outer ends of the tiacli-lmlts with the girder-plates, if said tie-bars were absent. In connection with said tie-plates K 1U, insulating strips or layers L L1 are located between the inner faces ot' the tie-bars and the adjacent faces of the webs of the rails; said insulating layers L L1 being preferably ol" the same width and length as the tie-bars. To insulate the track-bolts from the tie-bars, the holes in the latter and in the insulating laycis L L1 are made as large in diameter as the holes in the webs of the rails, and the insulatingr sleeves or thimbles I are made of sufficient length to extend through the rail webs, the insulating layers K, and the tie-bars J, so that they serve both to insulate the track-bolts from the rails and also from the said tie-bars.

An important advantage gained bythe arrangement of the insulation between the joint-bars and the rails is that all of such insulation is inclosed by the wooden joint-bars and thereby protected from rain, moisture, and mechanical injury.

Provision is made in the joint illustrated for holding the insulating layer H in place o r from shifting endwise Vfrom its proper position between the rail ends the base-plate G, as follows: In the said insulating layer H is formed an aperture h which, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, is of rectangular form, and in the base-plate beneath said. 'aperture L. is formed a recess or socket M (Figs. 2 and '3), preferably formed by depressing t-he metal of the base-plate by aswaging operation. A locking block or key N of insulating material is adapted to tit within the aperture h of the insulating layer, and also in the recess or socket M. Said key, by lits engagement with the insulating layer and the base-plate, serves to prevent any shitting movement of the insulating layer on the base-plate. Said locking block X is shownas having a convexly curved lower surface, and vthe recess M as being of corresponding form. This particular form of the parts is, however, not essential. j

It will be manifest that whenthe parts of the joint are assembled, the key N will be held in place, or in engagement with the insulating layer and base-plate,.by its contact with the lower surface of the rail above it.

While the joint bars have been hereinbefore described as being made of wood, yet it is to be understood that in carrying outmy invention, an insulating material, other' than wood may be employed in the construction of such joint bars.

I claim as my inventionznl'. An insulating joint comprising a baseplate, a girdcr-platc having interlocking connection at its lower 'margin with said baseplatc, a joint-bar of insulating material interposed between the rails and girder-platc, a tie-bar interposed between the webs of the rails and the joint-bar and track-bolts eX- tending'tlnough the rails, the tie-bar, jointbar and the girder-plate.

2. An insulating joint comprising a baseplate, a girder-plate' having interlocking connection at its lower margin with said baseplate, a joint-bar of insulating material interposed between the rails and girder-plate, a tie-bar interposed between the webs of the rails and the joint bar, track bolts extending through the rails, the tie-bar, joint-bar and girder-plate, and insulating sleeves inserted through the holes in the webs ot' the rails and in said tie-bar and surrounding said track- 3. An insulating rail-joint comprising a base-plate, a girder-plate, a joint-baroi insulating material interposed between the rails and the girder-plate, a metal tie-bar located adjacent to the webs of the rails, the said joint-bar being provided in its inner face with a recess to receive said tie-bar, insulating sleeves interposed between said trackbolts and the webs of the rails, and an insulating layer or strip applied between the webs of the rails and the said tie-bar.

4.' An insulating rail joint comprising a base-plate, two girder-plates, joint-bars of insulating` material interposed between the rails and the said girder-plates, metal tiebars located adjacent to the webs ot' the rails, said wooden joint-bars being provided on their inner faces with recesses to receive said tie-bars, track-bolts" inserted through the rails, the tie-bars, vthe \joint-bars and said girder-plates, insulating sleeves inserted through holes in the webs of the rails and tiebars and surrounding the track-bolts, and

insulating layers or strips applied betweeny the webs of the rails and the said tie-bars.

5. An insulating rail joint comprising a 'base-plate, an. insulating layer applied bev y C. QLARENCE POOLE. j 

